The work of Rummana Hussain (1952-1999) and her title “In Order to Join” in 1998 were the initial inspiration for this exhibition as a way to consider how one responds to a rapid moment of political change. “In Order to Join” brings together artists born between 1947 and 1957 – the postwar, post-Partition era to look at works and practices that engage with a political framework addressing concepts of nationalism and institutions while questioning their own position within these structures. This generation indicates signs of social liberalisation and emancipation; they were children when the Cold War began, adolescent and young women during the Vietnam War, the oil crisis of 1973, or Indira Gandhi’s Emergency regime from 1975 to 1977.These artists enter and depart from dialogues with but are not positioned within Western canonical frames such asModernism, Pop, Performance Art, or even the Feminist movement of the 1970s. They are in the “in- between”, standing alongside but

very much present. This “instability” is due to the dominance of conceptual strategy and thinking, and ultimately, they are both working with and against the possibility of “joining”.

“In Order to Join” will tour to Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai, 1 November to 14 December, 2014. There will be a workshop in association with KHOJ International Artists’ Association, Delhi, in December 2014.

Kaleidoscopic expression

Artists’ Centre, Mumbai, presents a group show of art works by various artists. The works on display range from figuration, realistic and abstract, to landscape and cityscapes in various styles like oil and acrylic on canvas and pen on paper drawings.

The participating artists are Naren Panchal, Babubhai Mistry, Natu Mistry, Manhar Kaadia, Mansi Chheda and are upcoming and established artists.

The show is on view from 2nd December (preview) to 8th December 2013.

All I have Learned and Forgotten

Gallery Espace, New Delhi presents a solo show of Delhi based artist, Tanmoy Samanta. Titled, ‘All I have Learned and Forgotten’, the exhibition starts on 12th December 2013 and is on view till 12 January 2014. Santiniketan educated Tanmoy Samanta has been a strong presence in the Indian contemporary art scene though the artist himself shies away from publicity and glamour. His works find resonance with his personal nature.

Aptly titled this show is a way of stock taking of his creative career so far. Minimalism is Tanmoy’s forte. He without abstracting the individual qualities of persons and objects, gives them an iconic status in minimal terms. His colours are subdued and the images are quite contemplative. He uses a sort of wry witticism to comment on the social events without referring to the particularities of such events. Oscillating between a sort of folk naivety and a studied satire, these works evoke a sort of identification between them and the viewer.

The graphic quality of Tanmoy’s works is striking. Against a flat background he creates two dimensional characters without resorting to narrative tendencies. His works are in major collections in India and abroad and his works have been included in many important shows.

Remembered Abstractions

Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore and Art Intaglio presents a solo show of photography art by eminent artist Ravikumar Kashi. The show is titled, ‘ Remembered Abstractions’ and displays a series of his recent works in photography.

Ravikumar is a multifaceted artist with a great many social concerns, and a love for learning paired with constant need to grow as an artist moving from medium to medium until he finds a niche in which he is fully comfortable. Here in this show he exhibits his foray into photography.

The show previews on 4th December and is on view till 21st December 2013.

( News reports by Sushma Sabnis)FEATUREMemories through Colours

Evolved by Tania Thomas articulates the artist’s thoughts and stories from the past

( Work on display)

What keep appearing in S. Tania Thomas’ art are circles, hemispheres and the bright complexity of reds, yellows and oranges. The canvasses tell her thoughts, her memories and some stories through interesting gradation and mixture of colours. Her solo showEvolvedis on display in the city.

There are two vertical rectangular canvasses in the front, each depicting a time or season. Midsummer has many clocks and circles set on a brown background. The brown itself is streaked and dotted with yellow, white, black and blue. The clock is showing a time past noon, a protractor tilts towards an angle. In Noon, the clock is just nearing noon, there are reds, greens, yellows and blacks in the brown.

Abstract yet lucid

( Work on display)

End Of Storm is a picturesque story. The landscape is a lovely blur of colours. Everything is running into the other; the sky, orange sun, its reddish reflection on the water and the inky darkness deep under. They are all dripping and wet, just like a picture from a car window after a storm.Day Dreaming, an acrylic on canvas is abstract and yet lucid. What are day dreams made of? They’re red, especially if you close your eyes in a brightly-lit room, with orange rectangles and silver bubbles. There are dark lines crisscrossing these psychedelic colours and they have a creeping blackness on the sides, to carry you off into a deeper dream.

You look for meanings in Reflection. Perhaps it is just as straightforward as the red buildings in her art. There is a red city set amidst a vanilla sky. There are crosses and flags atop these skyscrapers, and when you look down, at their reflection, they are all black. Is there more to it? Siesta is like a tropical dream. There is sun, sand, water, and where the water meets the sky is a streak of sea-green.

Many worlds

Tania’s most impressive work with colours is perhaps in the Kaka series. There are three of these and one more painting on other birds. Birds has another red city (another element that recurs) and with a silver moon on the stop. A curtain of indigo on the side signifies the approaching darkness. A few parakeets are perched on top of dark silhouettes and a mountain of a skyscraper, lit by streaks of yellow. Kaka 2 has a sandy beach, clouds and ‘v’-shaped crows flying in the distant sky. On the sand, a few sit, peck at a fish and just gaze around.

Towards the end of the show, past her doodles, is A Spiritual Journey, a telling vision of the artist’s own journey. A white being, not unlike a cat or a four-legged creature, dances about in envious joy. On a corner of the black canvas is a tear-like view of a newspaper clipping. The white being is enveloped in a cocoon of three ash stripes with a vermillion and yellow dot in the centre.

Evolved is on display till November 30th 2013 at Vinnyasa Premier Art Gallery.

Friday, November 29, 2013

India International Centre, Delhi presents a retrospective exhibition on Jhupu Adhikari (1927 - 2013). Titled as 'Jhupu Adhikari: A Life in Drawings', the exclusive exhibition will cover the works by the artist from his earliest days. The display will feature a wide variety of works in water colour portrait and woodcuts. There will be sketches and designs, advertisements and logos, some works from the 'clown series', Rajasthan and Turkey and also the final works drawn on an Ipad.

As a part of this exhibition, the evening also had a discussion and readings from ‘Jhupu – A Life Drawing'. Reading from the book was done by Sheema Mookerjee, Sushmita Sengupta, Pialee Mukherjee, Miti Adhikari, Sara Adhikari and Neel Adhikari. The chief guest for the evening was Shri Keshav Malik and the speakers included Ella Dutta, Kishore Singh, Monojit Lahiri and Abhijit Dutt.

The show is on view till 1st December 2013.

Musical Landscapes

(Work on display)

National Museum, New Delhi presents a multimedia and interactive exhibition by renowned tech wizard Ranjit Makkuni.

Titled as, ‘Musical landscapes and the goddesses of music: recent advances in interactive art’, the exhibition displays the various facets of music. Be it the science, art and spirituality related to music or the beautiful reflections in the Asian cultures, the multimedia exhibition is a visual feast for art connoisseurs of the capital.

The show is on till 16th January 2014.

Beyond the One

(Work on display)

Goethe Institut, Bangalore, presents Anna Marziano’s exhibition as her initiative to explore the ways we relate to one another in close relationships. The documentation will be accompanied by sound-works created by 12 students from Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology.

Beyond The One reveals a particular attention to the process of her film making. Anna involves some inhabitants of Bangalore in conversations and sound-recordings. The film unfolds as a sort of plural discourse in which many voices dialogue/cohabit/clash in the space of the film. In addition to archive material, the film is shot on 16 mm and S8 mm. The shooting will continue during the following months all over Europe.

The show is on view till 1st December 2013.

Whispering Canvas

(Work on display)

Nehru Centre Art Gallery presents a show of paintings by Nilesh Vede at the week long exhibition titled 'Whispering Canvas'. Nilesh is a Mumbai based contemporary artist who started getting recognition in Indian contemporary art scene after 2006. He has been appreciated for his unique style of painting and his works have found a lot of admiration from international art connoisseurs.

With his latest exhibition, this Sir J. J. School Of Art graduate takes forward the Maanava series where the Maanava continues its journey as a ‘Whispering Canvas’. It is a silent dialogue between the viewer, his conscience, a space and the canvas, created through Nilesh’s thoughtful artworks.

The exhibition will be inaugurated by eminent artist Vinod Sharma on December 3rd at 4 pm. The show will be on view till 9th December 2013.

( News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

In Fine Print

An exhibition of young printmakers from across India is brimming with diversity in content and technique. Organised by a printmakers’ group, the effort is aimed at garnering respect for the medium.

(Work on display)

In a full on season when it’s pouring exhibitions, left, right and centre, those showcasing prints can be counted on one’s fingers. With art market biased towards a few mediums, the exhibitions of prints have become fewer and fewer. In such a scenario, ‘A Festival Of Printmaking: The exhibition of young print artists of India’ reinforces hope. Around 80 young artists, selected by senior printmakers from different regions of India, are presenting their prints in the exhibition currently on at All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society (AIFACS) in New Delhi. The exhibition is dedicated to late Jagmohan Chopra, considered a pioneer in the arena of printmaking.

Organised by Multiple Encounters, a group of 12 senior printmakers, the showcase becomes a window for the viewer to see much variety in content and techniques of printmaking. For the young artist, it is an effective platform to show that the medium isn’t bound by any limitations. “I think we need to redefine the word ‘print’. A print can be my impression…it can be anything. It isn’t a substitute. It is a medium and it shouldn’t be bracketed,” says Ananda Moy Bannerji, one of the curators of the show and a member of Multiple Encounters. Artists like Ananda Moy Bannerji, Kavita Nayar, Dattatraya Apte, K.R.Subbanna and Sushanta Guha were associated with Indian Printmakers Guild for a long time and then they came together to push the cause of printmaking as Multiple Encounters around six years ago. Last year, the group rolled out Indo-US print exhibition showcasing 127 artists from India and America at Lalit Kala Akademi. “The idea is to make the society aware of the medium and giving a little push to the young printmakers. The medium should be respected and that will happen only when the society is educated about it. We can make it economically viable. Like we have book publishers, we could have print publishers in the country,” says Bannerji, who though works with different mediums but is really passionate about printmaking.

(Work on display)

Chosen from all across India, these fresh pass-outs from art colleges present a collection which is exhaustive in nature on account of technique and subject matter. While a young Nilanjan Das takes a gentle dig at urban lives with his work titled ‘If I get a job in a real estate marketing company’ in lino, chinacolle on digital print, Priyanka Batra in her etchings ‘Femininity Series’ engages with gender issues poignantly. “All the works in the exhibition are so strong. Politics, urban life, human anatomy…the artists are engaging with various issues. The variety and the experimental nature of the works is the highlight of the show.” In another work Das, curiously integrates printmaking with computer generated imagery giving the medium a new dimension altogether.

Sachin Bhausaheb Nimbhalkar’s installation, built deconstructing the concept of playing cards, again fits into the category absolutely. The artist from Maharashtra takes recourse to his memory and culls out images from his village life. His grandmother, folk music instruments and other symbols enter his artistic realm, and the transparency the medium of lithography affords only aids Nimbalkar in expressing his feelings.

A young Gayathri K. of Andhra Pradesh chooses close-ups of insects as her subjects. Jagadeesh Tammineni, who studied printmaking in Baroda, renders the exterior of an art gallery displaying print show in woodcut.

“A lot of artists, I observed have used woodcut, which I feel is making a comeback. Artists like Priyoum Talukdar, Sanghita Das use this technique so beautifully,” feels Bannerji.

A slice of history

(Work on display)

A small section dedicated to Ex-libris prints, taken from the collection of Paramjeet Singh, Chairman, AIFACS, underlines the significance of the medium and the significant role it has assumed in history. Ex-Libris is a Latin expression which means ‘from the books of’. Soon after books came out, a need was felt to mark their possession in some way. So after the printing press was invented, ex libris became a small printed label, pasted onto the volume’s back cover binding, bearing its owner’s name and a sign of personal identification, artistically executed through woodcut or wood engraving process. The collection showcases ex-libris prints produced in Japan, Finland, USSR and Romania.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Apparao Galleries, Chennai presents a solo show of eminent mixed media artist and print maker Paula Sengupta. The quest for roots, reconnection to childhood and the trauma of dislocation are some of the main elements that make up for good art. This pain lends an air of nostalgia to canvases, becoming more pronounced with the redrawing of geographical borders during conflict and political aggression. Paula connects to the Tibetan border and their families through her art in this particular exhibition.

Since 1959, an exodus continues from Tibet and resistance continues within it. In the initial years, it was mostly the monks, the aristocrats and the middle classes, and their loyal servants that resisted Sinicization and became victims of Chinese persecution – escaping became their only recourse. However, this meant the simultaneous loss of the Tibetan way of life, which is today their main point of resistance.

‘Into Exile’ reflects upon this deeply problematic situation, especially the eradication and sacrifice of habitats, lifestyles and cultures. Her work draws heavily on the indigenous craft and textile traditions of Tibet.

The show is on view till 1st December 2013.

Metal Morphosis

Maya Art Space presents the first solo sculpture show by Samir Aich titled, ‘Metal morphosis’. Counted amongst the seasoned artists, Samir has held numerous solo shows and group shows across cities like Chennai, Mumbai etc.

With a career spanning across three decades, Samir has worked in different artistic styles like oil on canvas, acrylic and mixed media. He has also experimented with different concepts, structured and ideologies.

The show is on view from 30th November to 15th December 2013

Textural Inspiration

(Work by Amol Pawar)

This November, witness the eclectic works of artist Amol Shivajirao Pawar displayed at Malaka Spice Art space, Pune. An alumnus of Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalay Pune, Amol loves to experiment with different mediums of art.

His favorite subjects of art ranges from nature, life and music. A master of textures who emphasises on using earthy tones of colours and calligraphy along with elements of nature, he draws inspiration from the real happenings of life.

The show is on view till 30th November 2013.

Dfrost 2013

National Institute of Design, Bangalore presents their annual design festival, ‘Dfrost 2013’. The festival provides an opportunity to harness an understanding of design and its importance in today’s world.

The series of events combines fun, creativity and awareness of design oriented activities. It aims to highlight the impact of design on society and people. The festival provides a wonderful opportunity to foster the understanding of design and its relevance in today’s world. It is a platform for students from different disciplines to showcase their potentials.

The festival is on view from 7th December to 8th December 2013.(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)FEATURE

A Sutra of Expression

Amit Dutt on his love for lines, and the evocation of loss through art

( work by Amit Dutt)

As one walked into the gallery at Rabindra Bhavan, Mandi House, one was greeted by a surprise. Expecting canvas renditions of the painter’s expression, one found instead a myriad range of media through which it articulated itself: rice-paper, metal sheets, record disks and even musical instruments! Where they depicted use of charcoal, acrylics as well as oils, Amit Dutt, the artist himself admitted that it is the lines that make up the heart of his work.

“I love my lines...when I have charcoal in my hand, they come out with a force and fluidity from within me, and other mediums like oils, that at times require one to wait for a layer to dry before continuing composition, sometimes feel like hindrances to this force,” he said, attributing this as the reason for the multiple, interwoven outlines all his figures have in each of his works. “I just enjoy letting my hand run free with the charcoal, each line looks a thing of beauty to me, and all the outlines together make my figures what they are. Each artist has a signature through which their work can be known, whether painter or even writer, and this is mine.”

( Amit Dutt)

Most of the works on display at ‘Art Sutra’, Dutt’s recently held solo exhibition, are part of his ‘Nostalgia’ series. Each work makes use of signifiers in the form of an activity like kite-flying or hop-scotch, and objects such as tops or marbles, and what is signified is a childhood lost to the ceaseless onward march of time (also appearing as a recurring pendulum in many of the works). The artist wants each work to speak to each individual spectator. His works are his voice, he said, and do not set out to covey a fixed, intended meaning. It was also for this reason that he believes pure abstract art is the highest form of art. His own work is simultaneously realistic and abstract, but the intention behind each creation is purely one of letting a moment of inspiration articulate itself; the surface, medium, form, colour and technique follow on instinct rather than deliberation. “I do not want anyone to look for fixed meanings in my work. Each work can mean differently to different individuals, by what they see in it rather than anything I have intended for them to see. The best kind of response to my art is, for me, one of enjoying the visual and letting it speak to you at an emotional level without a conscious attempt to decode,” he said.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Ganges Art Gallery, Kolkata presents artworks of artist Amritah Sen in an art exhibition titled 'Being Black'. The artist combines her creative ideas along with her sense of colours and creates her art works.

The artist is a B.F.A and M.F.A in painting from Kala Bhavana Visva Bharati University, Shantiniketan. She creates stories from her paintings and combines mythology, happenings of the surroundings, a bit of humour quotient. The artist makes it a point of not covering current issues in her paintings. She has been awarded the National Scholarship from the government of India for her talent.

The show is on view till 7th December 2013.

Conjectures

(Work on display at the show)

Pradarshak Art Gallery, Mumbai presents a group show of abstract art works by upcoming and established artists. The show titled, ‘Conjectures’ displays abstract works by young artists, depicting conscious, sub conscious with motifs and layered works.

Photography works of photographers Mathew Kurien, Shabir Hussain Santosh, Partha Sarathi Sengupta, Idris Ahmed and Sanjay Das will be on display.The photographers’ skills of capturing their surroundings will be seen.

Each photograph presents a unique story and is different in its own way. The photographers have captured wildlife, landscapes, scenes of Holi and much more. Also the exhibition will give a chance to all the viewers to present their interpretation of the clicks captured.

The show previews on 29th November and is on view till 1st December 2013.

(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

A world of colours

Artist Gayatri Shantaram’s paintings celebrate the universe

(Work by Gayatri Shantaram)

Black is a defining colour in artist Gayatri Shantaram’s work. The other predominant colours are white, red, blue or purple. Her ongoing exhibition Mandala at Contemplate Art Gallery is a celebration of the universe. “Mandala represents a circle or the universe. It showcases a little bit of my universe. All my paintings have a focal point, a circle often represented as the sun or the moon that encompasses a square (the canvas). In our Indian temple structures, a number of squares lead up to the garbagraha. The Tibetan Mandala comprises of a square within the circle. The Mandala collection constitutes what I am,” she says.

( work on display)

The use of blue in her works, she says, comes from Chennai where she grew up by the sea. “I use a lot of whites as well because it suits my linen canvas which I often work on. But my work is incomplete without black. It represents the duality of life,” she says.

The various paintings on display capture the artist’s progression in abstract work. At the entrance is a portrait of ‘Pilgrims’ in a play of themes. It is a figurative expression in shades of golden yellows and of course, black. There’s a series on guinea fowls. “I noticed these little creatures huddled together during visits to a friend’s farm. I found them extremely funny. You laugh at them but there is sadness too, as they cannot fly. I look on them as children, people or adults in a family with their own set of curious expressions.”

( work on display)

There are more birds as she points out her African crane and the Japanese crested crane. In one of the paintings, a plain peacock looks away while its plumage forms the backdrop like a screen lit up by moonlight. In another painting, there are shades of purple as the moon settles down and a bird is in flight.

Gayatri uses acrylic colours, a lot of Indian, Chinese and photographic ink, and water colours. She draws inspiration form just about anything that catches her fancy. “I click a picture when something strikes me and go back to the spot after two week’s time to see if the impact is the same. Then, I work on it. Though I look at subject matters for outward inspiration, I look a lot more inwards while working.”

( Work on display)

While some of her paintings are vibrant, others are calming and meditative. A painting titled ‘Fly’ is her tribute to aviation. It has blue clouds, a red sun and a bird. “The idea of taking off and to be there among the clouds is liberating,” she says. Another portrait inspired by Japanese art has just a splash of red on white and black background. The artist has also done guinea fowls on rice paper, inspired by Japanese art. “When you draw a line of colour the paper absorbs it and the crinkles add texture to the work.”

( Work on display)

‘Indus’ is a work in black ink. It has a mix of crackles and flow effect. When you point out what look like faces on the canvas, she says to her it represents a flowing water body. Some of her other abstract works include the elements, air, earth, water and fire. Gayatri describes art as a way of life. She says, “Though it doesn’t promise you an assured monthly pay check, it’s been very fulfilling emotionally and intellectually.”

The exhibition is on till November 29th 2013 at Contemplate Art Gallery, Avanashi Road.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Goethe Zentrum, Hyderabad presents a unique photography exhibition that will have on display some of the exclusive works by photographer Janardhan Korremulla. Through his solo exhibition, ‘Energy in Motion’, he will showcase the elixir of life, water, in abstract form. The colourful hues depict the energy which also forms the foundation of all life on our planet.

Janardhan Korremulla is professional Photographer. As a teacher and artist, he strongly believes that the subject in front of the camera, animate or inanimate must come alive.

The show is on view from 29th November to 12th December 2013.

Four Facets

Jamaat Art Gallery, Mumbai presents a quadruple of a show, titled, ‘Four Facets’. The show features four artists, four angles, four ideas and four viewpoints.

The participating artists are Prabhakar Kolte, Samir Mondal, Sunil Padwal, and Ravi Kumar Kashi. Each artist excels in his own field, be it abstraction, water colour portraiture, landscapes and conceptual art or Bollywood inspired series of artworks.

The show is on view till 10th December 2013.

Deep Time

( work on display)

Project 88, Mumbai presents a solo show of artist Rohini Devasher. The show titled, ‘Deep Time’ is part of an ongoing project that explores strange terrains where myth and fiction blur boundaries of the real and imagined. With metaphoric works which are also geographic propositions, this show maps attempts to observe the unobservable.

The show previews on 29th November and will be on view till 19th January 2013.Sculpture Show

Gallery Espace, New Delhi presents a group show displaying exquisite sculptural works by artists from India. The works on display range from bronze sculptures to stone and other metal. The participating artists are Chintan upadyay, Gigi Scaria, Krishna Yadav, Laxma Goud, Nagji Patel, Rajendar Tiku, Saroj Singh and Shankho Chowdhury.

The show is on view till 6th December 2013.(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)FEATURE

Impressions of the city

Prabal Mallick’s perspectives of Bengaluru are spontaneous and personal

(Work on display)

These are not simply landscapes, says Prabal Mallick, they are veering towards impressionism. What the viewer sees, in his series of watercolours, “Bengaluru On Location”, is the play of light and shadow; the shadows from the trees on the red walls of the museum canteen, the shadows in commercial street next to Anand Sweets, the shadows of the pillars in the Leela Galleria Barista.

What the viewer sees are the colours; of the valley below Nandi hills, brown and grey under the dark clouds, the greens and yellows of the autorickshaws on the Bangalore roads or the leafy greens of the trees of the “garden city”.

But the figures are always indistinct, perhaps because they come and go, even as the scene remains, where Prabal renders them onto his canvas.

En plein

“Bengaluru On Location” features en plein air paintings, done by the artist who captures the landmarks in and around the city. Some of the locations he captures are Lalbagh, Cubbon Park, NGMA, Ulsoor lake and Vidhana Soudha, or even UB City, Belandur Lake or Counter Culture.

“En Plein Air is a French terms, used commonly by artist to refer to the outdoors. Traditionally, artists used to paint outdoors, but nowadays most artists don’t do that. I think it helps you grow as an artist and whenever I get the chance, I go out and paint because I feel paintings one outdoors have a life of their own,” says Prabal, an engineer by profession.

“These paintings are a reflection of my personality. Whenever I set out to paint outdoors, I don’t start right away, I observe the place for a few hours while sketching. Then I try to paint how I feel. When I was in Nandi Hills, I was feeling cold, so automatically I started using cooler tones like grey. This is why I feel that my paintings veer towards impressionism, I am merely painting my impressions.”

“Bengaluru On Location” will be on view at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Kumara Krupa Road. For details, contact 9845193951.

Monday, November 25, 2013

When I curated ‘R.A.P.E’ (Rare Acts of Political Engagement) with twenty four women artists, at Art Konsult Gallery, New Delhi in March 2013, a few women activists amongst the artists-critics community asked me publicly what right I had got to curate a show like that. Their argument was that women’s voice should be raised by women, not by a man. While agreeing completely with them, I had responded that my decision came after waiting long enough for some woman curator to take up that topical issue and do something towards it. When none was coming forward (even till date none has come forward) I decided to do the show. I did not want to make the notorious ‘Nirbhaya case’ a sensational point of departure that would bring attention to the show. My aim was not to discuss ‘Rape’ but how women artists responded to such issues including rape and brought certain responses in their works. What I conceived was a grouping of political engagements through visual arts done by a group of young women artists. Contrary to my expectations, the media took it as a direct response to ‘Nirbhaya’ issue and gave it a huge publicity.

Today, once again, in the context of the infamous Tehelka scandal that involves Tarun Tejpal, the editor-in-chief of the media organization, I find the same callous response from most of the women artists in India who are public figures, therefore liable to respond to this issue. While most of them keep absolute silence on this issue, a few of them serve their duty by sharing certain articles pertaining to this issue in the social networking sites. Something is always better than nothing. Hence I should laud those people who do this ‘responsible’ sharing. But what surprises me is the general muteness from the part of the women artists. A woman artist friend told me in a private conversation that an artist’s job is not to give out immediate reactions in a public forum. Instead, an artist waits for the responses to mature, take a form therefore the artist could give a proper expression to it. She did not say all these words. But that was what she intended. But I would say, it would be too late when the expression comes out. My demand is not a reaction through art, but through certain words so that an opinion could be formed in the public domain. Shamefully, only the art community, as diversified it is, stands today without a unified opinion about the present scandal pertaining to an alleged rape attempt by a powerful editor.

Sharing an article is one thing and having an opinion of one’s own is another thing. I do not expect a public intellectual with some credibility, which many women artists claim to have, remain silent. Why does it happen? What happened to our women artists who claim that they debate the deeper and crucial issues of society in their works, at least in a very existential fashion? I have come across many women artists from different linguistic and geographical regions in India and my conversations with them have informed me that they did not mind following the tradition while keeping a rebellious facade. Art has always been a place to hide, to express the reality. A woman artist who observes karvachauth could literally kill her husband’s surrogate in her painting. That is a different issue. But what could be the immediate reaction, a studied response, or a well thought out opinion that is expressed in public? Have the women artists gone dumb? Don’t they have tongues? Why they separate art and life? Why they think that life could take a different pace while art could be entirely different? Then what about those writers, sociologists, politicians, singers and so on who openly express their opinion in public? Should I say that a singer can express her feelings only through her singing?

First of all we have to understand that art cannot bring in any revolution in today’s world. Art is a slow teaser. It occurs, people see it, interpretations happen, ideas come out and some social itch may take place, mostly on the economic front. But if your art is really really strong then people are going to think and talk about it. It could be one point where they anchor their beliefs in. But look at our pathetic art scene with very vocal women artists. Most of them are vocal when the bets are safe. I am sure that our women artists are expressing their moral agitation on Tehelka issue from their drawing rooms. They must be calling each other and weeping over the issue. Or they must be even saying, how could Tarun do this? It would be just an allegation. There must be a political agenda behind it. It must be a game to fix him. I see a few responses from some senior women art players in the social networking sites. They all behave as if they were about to swoon in disbelief. Oh...Tarun..how could you! You could have done it with some consenting ones.

What I call the ‘reversed patriarchy’ comes from this mindset of women artists and art players. If an atrocity is done by economically deprived migrants, Dalits and other disempowered people, the hue and cry from our women artists would have been so strong and condemning. But in this case they are still ready to give Tarun Tejpal a chance. I am not a Tarun Tejpal detractor. Actually, as a man I should be thinking in his lines. But I understand how power works and I hate all those people who use power of whatever kind to subject others irrespective of gender. I ask the Indian women artists to come out and speak about the atrocities committed against women, using your words, not by your works. Imagine what would happen if all intellectuals keep quiet saying that our job is to write articles and give seminars, not to react in public? Art is not a glass house. It has the strength to take criticism. Only thing is that the artists should have the courage to live up to the name of being an intelligent, responsible and committed artist.

Today’s artists’ response whether it is male or female reminds me of a particular story from Nazi Germany: A soldier came into the house. Before raping the woman, he told her husband, keep my balls from touching the ground while I am on your woman. After raping her, the soldier left. To her dismay, she found her husband rolling on the ground laughing. Irritated she asked what was so funny about it. He said that in between he let the soldier’s balls touch the ground.

Most of our artists are like that Husband.

JohnyML

NEWS

I am a seed of the tree

(Photo by Bindi Sheth)

India International Centre is hosting an exhibition that will feature the life cycle as well as rituals of Bene Israel Jews living in Ahmedabad through photographs clicked by Bindi Sheth accompanied by texts of Esther David. This exhibition titled, ‘ I am a seed of the tree’ is an outcome of the research grant allocated by Hadassah - Brandeis Institute of Brandeis University USA.

The exhibition will showcase the life of 150 Ahmedabadi Bene Israel Jews in past three years and their multicultural ways of life. Also there will be a talk post this exhibition and the speaker will be Esther David.

The show is on till 27th November 2013.

Light & Space

(Watercolour by Swaraj Das)

Beanstalk, Gurgaon, presents a solo sow by a young and upcoming contemporary artist, Swaraj Das. The show titled, ‘Light & Space’ displays his paintings which have a lot of overlapping of colours which reflects a careful organization and arrangement of his life experiences. His works are mostly abstractions.

Swaraj has won many awards and extra ordinary repute in a small span and never feels tired painting to fulfill the demands of his admirers.

The show is on view till 30th November 2013.

In the spirit of florals

( work on display)

Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai presents a solo show of art works by noted artist Madhukar Munde. The Mumbai based artist holds a diploma as an arts teacher and later he did a post graduate diploma in 1985.

He has displayed his artworks in India and worldwide and his talent has been highly appreciated by the art lovers. He creates a unique piece of art each time he holds the brush. His works are primarily realistic and figurative, florals with spiritual subjects to adorn the canvas.

The show is on view till 25th November 2013.

Ceramic Dimensions

(Works on display)

Bajaj Art Gallery, Mumbai presents a solo show of ceramic sculptures, by artist Shalan Dere. The first solo titled ‘Ceramic Dimensions- a Dialogue in Clay’ displays her love for the medium of clay.

The art exhibition is a culmination of two decades of her life experiences portrayed through vivid shapes and forms. From a constructed Buddhist begging bowl to a complicated mural of drunken emotions, her stunning collection of art works on display speak volumes to the viewer.